Out Of the Ashes
by Agent Alexandra Paris
Summary: This is the story of Adam. In the cyber world he is known as Phoenix a skilled hacker. In this world he is the host of a popular public access show. What happens when both of his worlds collide and he meets a beautiful agent? Chapter 6 is now up.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been around in awhile! Life has been hapening to me very quickly and I have don't at least three indie films in the past three months alone so now that I have some down time. I am back with a new story. But don't woorry I will get back to my other stories asap! Enjoy!

Alexandra

Chapter 1

He sat in the small public access TV studio looking through his papers, it was two minutes to show time. His guest was on the phone line calling all the way from New York and this week's subject was going to be the secret society of Skull and Bones. He shuffled through his papers and looked through the articles that he was going to present, his exotic dark eyes scanned through the pages intensely.

"Adam we have one minute to going live." It was his floor director, a slightly older woman with red hair.

Adam looked up from his paperwork at the woman.

"Thanks Sonya." He answered.

He gave her a wink, and with that wink her heart sort of fluttered. Who can blame her, Adam was an extremely attractive young man. The girls around the station, both young and old all came to a consensus that he was the cutest male public access personality in the city with his short dark hair, olive skin and his boyish good looks. Not to mention a smile that would make you melt. Any girl would have been lucky to have him. Besides, Sonya was a happily married woman but that didn't stop her from looking.

It was ten seconds to show time and Adam was sitting there as calm as could be. The countdown started and the theme music with the roll-in began. After the introduction, he began to speak.

"Hello! Welcome to the show. I am Adam Anderson your host and this week we are going to be discussing Skull and Bones..."

He continued to speak, but little did he know that in the lobby, three women, a blonde, a brunette and redhead all dressed in black suits, perfect make-up and perfect hair tied back with dark sunglasses walked up to the front desk where they were greeted by a young dark haired, olive skinned woman in her late twenties.

"Hello. May I help you ladies?" She asked.

"I am Agent Lewis and these are my associates, Agent Spencer and Agent Hansen." The red haired woman said in a very slow but sensual mechanical tone.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Rose." She answered.

"We are looking for someone. An Adam Anderson. Do you know where he is?" Agent Lewis asked.

"He's actually in Studio B right now doing a live call-in show."

Rose took the remote and turned the TV on in the lobby where the three women sat down and watched as Adam continued to speak.

"And that's it for this week's show. Stay tuned next week when I have Alex Jones calling in. I am Adam Anderson and I want to let you know that there is a war for your mind. Good night."

The three women continued to watch as the credits rolled. Adam took off his mic and then out of nowhere his cell phone rang.

"What the fuck?" He could have sworn he had turned the damned thing off.

It continued to ring.

He reached into his pocket and flipped it open. He put it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello Phoenix." It was a man on the other end.

Adam couldn't believe it, no one outside of cyberspace called him that.

"How do you know my name?" He asked.

"I have been waiting a very long time to meet you, but if you don't do as I say, it might not happen." The man on the other end told him.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam asked.

"It's not important right now Phoenix. They are coming for you and I have no idea what they will do to you if they catch you."

"Who?"

"Take a peek outside of Studio B." The man instructed.

Adam did as he was told, he spied the three women in black.

"Are you talking about those three women in the lobby that are dressed alike?" Adam asked.

"Yes, the red head, the blonde and the brunette. The red head is the leader." The man on the other end explained.

"What? If they are so dangerous, why didn't they send men?" He asked.

"Don't underestimate them." The man told him.

The red head also known as Agent Lewis cocked her head in his direction. Even though she was wearing dark sunglasses, he could tell she was looking straight at him. She pulled out her Desert Eagle handgun and got up from her seat slowly.

"Oh shit!" Was all Adam could say.

"Run back into the Studio B and do as I tell you." The man on the other end instructed.

Adam did as he was told.

"Now in the studio there is a door that leads to the prop closet and leads to Studio A run through it!"

"But there's another show going on in there!"

"Just do it! And once you get there, go through the fire escape."

Adam did as he was told and ran right into Studio A and right through a band that was playing and made his way to the fire exit. Not too far behind were the three women in black with their guns drawn. Once he was outside, he was still on the phone with the mystery man on the other end.

"Now climb up to the roof. There's a ladder outside of the garage."

He found it and climbed up to the roof. He was now helpless and wondering to do next. He was out of breath.

"What the fuck do I do now? Why me? I didn't do anything dammit! I'm nobody! I'm just a guy who hosts a cable access show about conspiracy theories! I just want to get the truth out there! FUCK!"

"Calm down Phoenix, in a few seconds there will be a bus coming. I want you to jump on top of it."

"WHAT! I'm not Keenau Reeves!"

"I have faith in you. You can do it." The man said calmly.

Adam paced the roof mumbling to himself.

"This is crazy!"

And then just like the man said the bus was coming, Adam held his breath but he couldn't do it. Just as quickly as it came it sped past the station, not too long after that, the three women caught up to him. With them was the Executive Director of the station who did not look too happy.

"I didn't fucking do anything!" Adam protested as the women in black dragged him off in handcuffs and escorted him off the roof.

His fellow public access producers watched as he was being hauled away and put into a black government issued Audi with licence plates that read IS 5416.

Adam had no clue what was going to happen next...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The three women escorted Adam into the building in handcuffs. He was pissed because he knew he didn't do anything. In the distance was a young woman with dark hair sitting on a black moped. She watched as they took him through the glass doors.

"Shit." Was all she could say under her breath.

She got on her cell phone dialed, a voice on the other end picked up.

"Operator."

"The agents have him." She said.

"Damn! We're going to have to think of something else." The operator told her.

Back inside the building Adam was being led to what looked like an interrogation room. There were only two chairs and one large table, the light made it green in hue. The blonde and the brunette sat him down roughly. He was surprised that for women they were quite strong. The redhead produced a file which read Anderson, Adam S.

She took a seat in front of him.

"Why am I here?" Adam asked.

Her scarlet lips curled into a seductive grin as she spoke in a mechanical yet sensual tone.

"As you can see, we have had our eye on you for the longest time now, Mr. Anderson."

She opened his file and flipped through several pages, she was still wearing her dark sunglasses so he couldn't really tell if she was looking at him or if she was looking at his file. Finally Agent Lewis spoke again.

"It seems that you have been living two lives. In one life, you are Adam S. Anderson, a local public access personality who hosts a weekly TV show about conspiracy theories. You have a social security number, you pay your taxes and you help your landlady carry out her garbage."

She continued to turn the pages as she continued speaking.

"The other life is lived in computers where you go by the hacker alias Phoenix, and you are guilty of virtually ever computer crime that we have a law for, including the unauthorized use of the D.M.V. system for the removal of automobile boots."

Adam couldn't help but feel he was sinking into a serious pit of shit at that moment. She continued to speak.

"One of these lives has a future. One of them does not."

She closed his file.

"I'm going to be as forthcoming as I can Mr. Anderson. You are here because we need your help."

She removed her sunglasses revealing her unnaturally fiery amber eyes.

"We know that you have been contacted by a certain individual. A woman who calls herself Mystere. Whatever you think you know about this woman is irrelevant to the fact that she is wanted for acts of terrorism in more countries than any other person in the world. She is considered by many authorities to be the most dangerous woman alive."

She leaned closer, still looking into his eyes. She was so close he could smell the light sweet scent of lilacs emanating from her being.

"My lady friends believe that I am wasting my time with you, but I believe you want to do the right thing. It is obvious that you are an intelligent man, Mr. Anderson and that you are interested in the future. That is why I believe you are ready to put your past mistakes behind you and get on with your life."

Adam matched her stare.

"We are willing to wipe the slate clean, to give you a fresh start and all we are asking in return is your cooperation in bringing a known terrorist to justice."

Adam let out a small laugh. He was not going to let some government chick in dark suit tell him what to do as he nodded to himself.

"You know that sounds like one hell of a deal lady. But I think I have a much better one. How about I give you the finger."

He flipped her off with a smirk.

"And you cram that file right up your secret service ass."

Agent Lewis put her sunglasses back on

"You disappoint me, Mr. Anderson."

"You ain't seen shit yet sweetheart."

"The irony of your situation is that you have no choice."

Adam was getting annoyed with the whole situation when he spoke again.

"Listen bitch, you can't scare with this gestapo bullshit. I know my rights and I want my fucking phone call!"

Agent Lewis just smiled back at him.

"And tell me, Mr. Anderson what good is a phone call, if you are unable to speak?"

Somehow Adam was unnerved by this and when he tried to speak no words came out. The three women just snickered at his predicament as his confusion grew into panic. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. Wild with fear, he lunged for the door but the small built blonde and the brunette held him down with superhuman strength. Agent Lewis nodded to both women as they ripped his shirt open

"You are going to help us, Mr. Anderson, whether you want to or not."

She produced what looked like a long fiber-optic wire tap. He struggled helplessly as it came near his navel.

"Oh and another thing, Mr. Anderson. Never address me as your Sweetheart again. And if you are going to call me a bitch, you better address me as Agent Bitch."

A with that she slapped him ... hard, making him bleed. Horrified he watched as the tap became animated and thin tentacle like probes pierced his navel as he writhed in agony.

He bolted upright in the dark. He was in bed in his apartment. A few moments later the phone rang, it was Mystere and it would also be the beginning of his new life of being unplugged.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It had been three weeks since Adam who was now Phoenix was awakened and living in the real world. When he got his strength to move it would be time for his training in the construct. He was in a white karate uniform while his instructor, a young man with pale skin, dark hair, blue eyes and about the same age was dressed in black. His name was Talon. He began to speak.

"It is now time for your training Phoenix." He said.

"I can't believe I actually know Kung Fu." Phoenix told him.

Talon raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Yes, it's amazing what you learn when you become unplugged. So you wanna show me?"

Talon assumed the fighting stance.

"Attack me." He told him.

Phoenix assumed a similar stance cautiously circling until he gave a short cry and charged at Talon, launching a furious attack. Fist and feet flew at high speed but no matter how hard Phoenix tried, Talon was kicking his ass.

Back on the bridge everyone was watching while Phoenix was jerking in his chair and next to him Talon was breathing steadily.

Back in the Dojo, Phoenix looked pissed, his face twisted with rage and frustration. He hurled himself at Talon.

"Good. Adaptation. Improvisation. But weakness is not your technique." Talon said.

And with that Talon attacked him and it was nothing like Phoenix had never seen. Talon's fist and feet were flying everywhere taking him apart. For every blow that Phoenix blocked, Talon came back with another and another until he fell. Talon stood over him.

"Tell me, how did I beat you?"

"You're too fucking fast." Phoenix said as he trying to catch his breath.

"Do you think that my being faster, stronger has anything to do with muscles in this place? We're the same size and height man."

Phoenix was frustrated by Talon's words. He was still unable to catch his breath.

"Do you this is really air that we are breathing right now?" Talon asked him.

Phoenix squinted at him.

"If you can free your mind then the body will follow."

Phoenix was now on his feet. He now understood.

"Again." Talon ordered.

This time fists were flying at a blur.

Back on the bridge everyone was watching the fight. A young bald man stood next to the operator, his mane was Shocker.

"Jesus Christ! The motherfucker is fast!" Shocker said with amazement.

"Yeah no shit!" Said the girl next to him.

"Talon is right, he has got to be the second coming." The operator said under his breath.

Back in the Dojo the speed increased between the two men. Finally with one single blow ,Phoenix caught Talon off guard knocking him down.

"I don't fucking believe it!" Shocker said.

Talon was now down on the ground rubbing his face.

"I believe you are pissed off at me." Talon said.

Phoenix panted because he was exhausted and yes he was pissed.

"Ya think?"

"It okay. It's natural to be pissed off."

"I do feel better." Phoenix admitted.

Talon got up and walked over to Phoenix putting his arm around him.

"That is good. Anger is a gift, Phoenix, but it's a heavy one."

Talon smiled and patted him on the back.

"Blaze, load the jump program."

They were now on top of a roof. Phoenix was now in his street clothes and Talon was in a long dark jack that went to his ankles.

"You must let go of that anger, you have to let go of everything."

A cold wind whipped right through the both of them making Talon's long jacket blow in the breeze.

"You must empty yourself to free your mind."

And with that he spun, running hard at the edge of the rooftop. He jumped. He sailed through the air with his coat billowing out behind him like a cape. Once he came close, somersaulted in midair and landed on the roof across from them.

"Shit." Was all Phoenix could say.

Phoenix look down to the street above twenty floors below and then at Talon who was an impossible fifty feet away.

"Okay I can do this. I'm freeing my mind."

He took a deep breath.

"Free my mind." He said to himself.

He concentrated and then he ran. He leaped off the roof and just like in Wyle E. Coyote cartoon he stopped in mid air and then he fell straight down hitting the ground hard, except he wasn't dead. Talon was there a few moments later to help him up.

"Everyone falls the first time." Talon reassured him.

Phoenix nodded quietly.

"If you never know failure, how can you learn success?"

Back on the bridge Shocker had really hoped that Talon was right.

"What does it mean?" Shocker asked.

"It doesn't mean anything." Said the girl next him.

A few moments later both Talon and Phoenix were unplugged , but Phoenix was cradling his ribs and held his mouth, he discovered he was bleeding a little bit. He stared at it.

"I thought you couldn't get hurt in the matrix."

He continued to stare at his own blood.

"So does that mean that if you are killed in the matrix, you die here too?"

"That is correct. The body cannot live without the mind." Talon told him.

Phoenix was exhausted after the training and went to bed. He closed his eyes and started to dream. It was raining heavily. And to each side of him there were rows of women dressed in black. All the same copper red hair perfectly pulled back, with the same sunglasses and the same painted crimson lips. To the right a lone woman stepped out removing her dark glasses in the rain revealing her almost glowing amber eyes. She slowly walked up to him until they were almost nose to nose in the rain. He spoke.

"It ends tonight." He told her.

"I know. I have seen it and I know it is me who beats you Mr. Anderson. So the rest of me is just going to sit back and watch the show." She told him in a smug tone.

She threw the first punch knocking him down to the ground and then like a wild animal she pounced on him, pinning him down. They looked into each others eyes and then she kissed him. He resisted at first and then he kissed her back as her copies looked on. A noise in the distance got louder and then finally he was back in his bed on the ship.

He awoke with a bolt and in a cold sweat. He was disturbed by the dream because the agents were nothing but cold hearted killing program even if they were female. But yet Phoenix could not help but be bewitched by Agent Lewis' beauty. Why did the matrix have to make a killing program that beautiful? But he couldn't think such things. Phoenix was human she was a program and a very dangerous program at that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Agent Lewis was sitting in her living room reading the Da Vinci Code. There was a knock at the door. She walked up to the door and peeked through the keyhole. It was Agent Jackson. She opened the door and she noticed that he had a dozen long stemmed red roses just for her.

'What a human gesture.' She thought to herself.

"For you." He said.

"Thank you. Please come in."

Jackson handed her the roses and stepped inside. She went into the kitchen and placed them in a vase. Jackson had a seat on her couch.

"So what brings you here?"

"I have information on Mr. Anderson." Jackson told her.

"Really?"

"Yes, apparently after you interrogated him, he became unplugged and is now in Zion working as an operative." Jackson reported.

"I see." Lewis nodded. "He has been by the television station since being unplugged?"

"No but he has been active on the internet, seeking others out." Jackson told her.

"Looks like Mr. Anderson is going to be a threat after all." Lewis mused.

"Indeed." Jackson agreed.

Jackson looked down at the book that Lewis was reading before he came by.

"The Da Vinci Code?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, it's quite good actually and not bad for being written by a human." Lewis said.

"I have heard of this book."

"Yes, it is actually good reading, kind of makes one understand humans and their religious icons and how they came to be."

To Jackson's left, he saw her book case. Books on Greek and Roman Myths lined the shelves and well as the bible, book of mormon, the teachings of Buhdda, and even books on Islam and Judaism. Every human religion was right there on her book case.

"So why all these books?" Jackson asked her.

"To maybe understand what humans believe, to see what really makes them tick." Lewis explained.

"For a program that hates humans why study them?"

"There's a saying the goes along the lines of 'Know thy enemy' and that is exactly what I am doing right down to their silly superstitions."

Jackson nodded.

"That makes sense. Humans are weak when it comes to their beliefs."

"Exactly my dear Mr. Jackson."

She walked over to the bar. She looked in his direction.

"Would you like a drink?" She asked him.

"That sounds good right now, I'll have what you're having."

"Martini it is then."

He watched as she poured the vodka and dry vermouth and added the ice into the shaker. She took out two martini glasses and poured the concoction into each of them garnishing them with two green olives each. She walked over to the couch where Jackson was sitting and handed him his drink. She took a seat beside him.

"To the destruction of Zion once and for all." She said as she raised her glass.

"Cheers, as humans would say." Jackson said.

They clinked their glasses in a toast and drank. A few moments later out of the blue when Jackson least expected it, she kissed him. It was a pleasant sensation but it caught him surprise.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I believe it is what is called a kiss." Lewis said.

"Can you do that again?" Jackson asked her.

She did and it was quite pleasurable to him. Her kiss was soft at first and then her tongue slipped past his lips. He removed his dark sunglasses as she continued to kiss him. He felt his nether region get rigid as she continued to touch him. He responded by putting his arms around her. She kissed him even deeper. She undid his tie and removed his tie clip and proceeded to unbutton his shirt. He stopped her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Is this going where I think it is?" Jackson asked her.

"You mean intercourse? Yes, I was sort of hoping it would actually." Lewis said with a smirk.

Jackson smiled back.

"Is this another one of your human studies?" He asked her.

"Well I have been curious, I will admit."

"As have I." Jackson admitted.

"Shall we continue?" She asked him.

"I don't see why not? I have no objections." He said.

And with that she continued to kiss him and slowly unbutton his shirt exposing his smooth hairless chest. She kissed his nipples making him gasp in pleasure. Her lips worked their way to his abs and then to his navel. She slowly unzipped his fly setting his rigid manhood free and took it into her mouth making him moan with desire. He writhed and twitched as she sucked and licked him and she did this for the longest time until he begged her to stop. She let up and straddled him, unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her breasts. She lifted her skirt above her hips, exposing her garter and stockings, she was not wearing any panties. She teased the head of his shaft before letting him enter her.

"Please let me ..." Jackson begged.

"Let you what?" She whispered.

"Let me be inside you." He kept begging.

"How badly do you want it?" She yanked his hair.

"Please, I want you." He was almost in tears as he begged.

"You beg so well Agent Jackson. Very well."

And with that he entered her slowly, making her sigh as he fucked her slowly. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations that her fellow agent was giving her. But instead of thinking about him her thoughts wavered to Mr. Anderson. She wondered what it would be like to fuck him just once. Instead of Jackson caressing her, she pictured Mr. Anderson's hands instead. Instead of Jackson's lips, she imagined Mr. Anderson's lips caressing her skin. Instead of Jackson being inside her, in her mind it was Mr. Anderson. These thoughts disturbed her as she was making love to Jackson. Why was she thinking about a human like this. She continued to picture him, instead of Jackson in her head, his olive skin contrasting with her own porcelain flesh as they made love. She was getting close to orgasm. Jackson was getting close too. Finally they both came and when Agent Lewis reached her orgasm she cried out.

"Oh my God! Mr. Anderson!"

After they were done having sex, Jackson just rested in her arms but her thoughts kept trailing to the human. Did he infect her somehow when they encountered each other the first time? Why did this human male bewitch her so? And why did she scream his name when she had intercourse with Agent Jackson? She hated humans but yet she thought about Mr. Anderson in this way. Why? What was wrong with her programming?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The day came for Phoenix to pay a visit to The Oracle as they jacked into the matrix. Once he was back in, everything seemed so surreal to him, the car that they were driving passed by the TV station where he used to broadcast his show once a week. He could not help but to think about the people he knew inside that building that were still plugged in.

"Phoenix?" It was Mystere.

He was in sort of a haze when her voice brought him back to reality. He turned to look at her. She was a woman about his age with long golden brown hair, light freckles and blue eyes.

"You okay?" She asked.

Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah, it's kind of weird being back. I used to do my TV show once a week from that ." He said pointing to the one story brick red building.

"I notice they still have the giant breast pump to the entrance." He mused.

"You miss it?" Mystere asked him.

Phoenix paused.

"Well it's kind of weird really. Every week I would tell people that they need to wake up and actually see what is happening. Little did I know..."

"That you were still asleep too?"

"Yeah."

The car stopped in front of an apartment building.

"We're here." Talon announced.

Everyone stepped out the car and were all dressed alike except for Phoenix. He looked so out of place in his suit and tie in the sea of black leather and PVC.

"Wait here while I take Phoenix to see her." Talon ordered the group.

The two of them went inside and stepped over a bum laying down in the hallway as they made their way up the stairs. They walked two flights and then they made a left where they walked to the very end of the hallway and stopped at that last door in front of them.

"So is this the same Oracle that made the prophecy of the second coming?" Phoenix asked.

"Yes, she is not as old as the last Oracle. But she did see this coming, the visions and prophecies are passed on from Oracle to Oracle." Talon explained.

"So how old would you say this one is?"

"I would guess about a couple hundred years, give or take. She has been with us for quite some time."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

"So what you are saying is?"

"She knows everything." Talon said.

"And she's never wrong?"

"Try not to think in terms of right or wrong. She comes from a long line of guides. She can help you find the path."

"Did she help you?"

"Yes she did."

"And what did she tell you?"

"That I would find The One again when we needed him the most. I can only show you the door my friend. It is you that has to walk through it."

Not less than a moment later the door opened and a black man who was the same height as Phoenix answered. He wore a cap and suit with a bow tie and was very calm and peaceful as he spoke.

"Hello Phoenix, you are right on time."

Both men stepped inside. The man turned to Talon.

"Make yourself at home friend. Phoenix, come with me."

He followed the man to a room where he saw several children playing together and making toys float in mid-air. In the corner he spied an angelic looking little girl with blonde curls. She was holding spoons and making them bend with her mind. He walked over to her and just watched. She looked up at him with her big green eyes. She handed him a spoon.

"Do not try to bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth." The child spoke in tone that was wise beyond her years.

"What truth?"

"There is no spoon." The little girl told him.

"No spoon?"

"It's not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself."

Phoenix held the spoon in his hand and as he held it, he could not help but feel like he had been in this spot before a long time ago. He watched as the spoon warped and twisted in his hand.

"The Oracle will see you now." The man said.

He followed the man into the kitchen where there was a thin white woman with short sandy blonde hair in her early forties standing at the oven. She was wearing a light green dress with a matching shawl. He could smell brownies. Her back was turned to him as she was facing the oven.

"I know, you're Phoenix. I'll be right with you."

"You're The Oracle?" He asked.

"Yes," She took a big whiff "Almost done. Smell good. Don't they?"

"Yeah."

"I would ask you to sit down but I know you're not. Oh and don't worry about the vase."

"What vase?"

Phoenix turned quickly as the vase crashed.

"Oh shit! I am so sorry!"

"Oh don't worry about it. I'll get one of my angels to fix it."

She turned to face him.

"How did you?"

"Know? Now what is really going to mess with your head is would you still have broken it if said anything?"

"Huh?"

"You're cute but not very bright. You know why Talon brought you to see me?"

"I think so."

She adjusted her glasses to get a better look at him.

"So what do you think? Do you think that you are the second coming of The One?"

He shrugged.

"Hell if I know."

She pointed to a sign in Latin above the door to the kitchen.

"You know what that means?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"It means 'Know Thyself'. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Being The One is like being in love. No one can tell you you're in love, you just know it. Through and through."

She took a deep breath and she began to speak again.

"Well I better have a look at you. Open you mouth and say ahhh."

Phoenix did so.

"Now I'm supposed to say 'that's very interesting...but' then you say..."

"But what?" He asked.

"But I think you already know the answer."

"That I'm not The One?"

"Sorry. You do have the gift, but it looks like you are waiting for something to happen."

"What?" He asked.

"Who knows? It's just the way things go."

He shook his head and almost laughed.

"Talon just about had me convinced."

She put her arm around him as she spoke.

"I know poor Talon. Without him, we would be lost."

He was perplexed by what she just said.

"What did you mean by that?"

She let out a deep sigh.

"Talon and the others believe in you and there is no convincing them otherwise. Talon believes it so blindly that he's willing to sacrifice himself." The Oracle told him.

"You fucking kidding me? Right?"

"No Phoenix, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You have a good soul."

She handed him a warm brownie.

"Here have a brownie, by the time you're done eating this, you will be right as rain. I promise." She gave him a hug and sent him out to meet Talon.

He started to eat the brownie and just as she promised he felt better. He met with Talon. He began to speak to Phoenix.

"What was said was for you and you alone."

They walked down the hall and Phoenix could have sworn he saw a white cat walk by twice.

"Whoa! Deja vu!"

Talon turned to him.

"What did you just say?" There was a look of fear on Talon's face

"Nothing, I just had a little sense of deja vu, that's all." He said.

"What did you see?" He asked.

"A white cat went past us and then I saw another one that looked just like it." Phoenix told him.

"Were they exactly the same?"

"That's what it looked like to me."

"Oh my God."

"Talon what's wrong?"

"Deja vu is usually a glitch in the matrix. It happens when they change something."

"Who?"

"Agents!"

"Oh my God!"

"We have to get you out of here Phoenix! Now!"

A few moments later they were met by the rest of the group.

"Get him out here! I'll hold them off!" Talon ordered.

On the ground floor Agents Lewis and Spencer were checking the mainframe.

"They are on the sixth floor." Lewis said.

A few moments later police were running after them and firing. They got far enough ahead to where the operator was able to give them a place to hide which was behind the wall of a dingy public rest room. A few moments later Agent Hansen appeared.

"Where are they?" She asked.

Within the walls Phoenix was trying not to sneeze but he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"They're in the walls!" The officer yelled as they opened fire.

"Oh my God! It's an agent!" Mystere yelled.

She noticed that Talon was shoving everyone down while he still stayed at the top of the pipe.

"Talon what are you doing?" Phoenix yelled.

Talon tuned to Mystere.

"Get him out of here! He's our only hope!"

"Please Talon don't! We're not leaving you behind!" Phoenix begged.

"Go now!" He ordered.

"We have to Phoenix!" Mystere said.

She pulled herself and the rest of the group down to pipe as Talon crashed through the wall to face Agent Lewis pinning her down on the ground.

"Ah, the great Talon. We meet at last." Her tone was menacing.

"And you are?"

"Lewis, Agent Lewis."

"All of you mechanical whores look the same to me." He spat.

She head butted him over and over again breaking his nose. Finally she lifted him off the ground with one hand. He kept punching, but she blocked every single one of his punches with ease. With each punch he was thrown around like a rag doll. Finally police rushed in. She grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"You will tell me where Mr. Anderson is. And while you're at it, you will give me the codes!" She growled.

"Fuck you bitch!"

She knocked him out cold. And then she turned to the police officers.

"Take him." She ordered.

A few seconds later police officers handcuffed the unconscious talon and lead him away for Agent Lewis to question him some more. She only hoped that he would be more cooperative once he woke up.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Talon was stripped to the waist and tied to a chair all beaten, bruised and bloody as Agent Lewis stared out into the city through her dark sunglasses. It shimmered in the bright sunlight.

"How you ever stood and stared at it, Talon? Marveled at its beauty. Its genius. Billions of people just living out their lives... oblivious."

Talon sat in silence, saying nothing as Agent Spencer sucked serum from a glass container into a hypodermic needle. He was shivering and sweating at the same time as electrodes were taped to his head and chest monitoring his life signs. Agent Lewis still stood at the window as she continued her speech.

"Did you know that the first matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where no one suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost."

Agent Spencer shoved the needle into Talon's shoulder making him wince in pain as she plunged down, injecting the substance into his system.

"Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery."

Agent Spencer studied the screen as Talon's life signs reacted violently to the injection.

"The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization."

She turned from the window and walked slowly towards Talon as she continued to speak. Her black pant suit hugging her womanly curves and her shirt open just enough to expose a modest cleavage. She sat down directly in front of him.

"Evolution Talon. Evolution."

She smelled soft and feminine. She took off her glasses revealing her unnaturally glowing amber eyes. Her soft womanly hand lifted his chin as she continued to speak.

"Like the dinosaur. Look out that window. You had your time."

Talon stared hard at her, trying to not let on that the pain was racking his mind and body.

"The future of your world Talon. The future is our time."

She looked over to Agent Spencer.

"Double the dosage." She ordered.

Agent Hansen entered the room.

"We could have a problem."

Back on the bridge Phoenix looked at Talon. He laid there all calm and serene but his vitals told a different story.

"What are they doing?" He asked.

"They're trying to hack his mind." Mystere said.

"How?"

"They inject virus-like serums to attack the nervous system. It's like cracking a computer. All it takes is time."

"How much time?" He asked.

"Depends on the mind really. It will crack his alpha pattern and he will become a zombie. When that happens, he will tell them everything they need to know."

"Shit we can't let that happen." Phoenix said.

"Well we may not have a choice but to unplug him. If he gives the codes, we're fucked." Mystere said.

Back in the building Talon was fighting to keep his mind together. The three women stood over him.

"Never send a man to do a woman's job." Agent Lewis scoffed.

"They are dead. In either case —" Agent Hansen said.

"We have no choice but to deploy the sentinels. We must do so immediately." Lewis ordered.

Mystere looked at Talon's lifeless body, she knew what she had to do. She had to pull the plug.

"Good Talon. You were a friend and a brother to us."

Phoenix could not believe what he was hearing.

"That's it? We're just going to let him die just like that?" He was angry.

"We have no choice." She told him.

She put her hands around the coil that connect him to the matrix. It was then fate rushed at Phoenix like an oncoming train.

"Wait." He said.

"Phoenix, this has to be done."

"No, it doesn't. It can't be just coincidence." He said shaking his head.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"We can save him Mystere. The Oracle, she told me this would happen. She told me ..."

He paused and took a deep breath.

"She told me that I would have to make a choice."

"What choice?"

He leaped into the chair.

"What the hell are you doing? It's suicide!"

"I'm going after Talon."

"You can't. You'll be killed."

"I have no choice! Plug me in."

She saw the look in his face. He was going back into the matrix even if he jacked himself in without her help.

"Talon sacrificed himself for me so I could get out. He believes that I am something I'm not."

"What."

"I'm not The One re-born. I can't be. I'm just some guy. Right now Talon is the only one that matters."

"This is crazy Phoenix!"

"I know."

With reluctance she plugged him into the construct where he was now dressed all in black.

"I'm going to need weapons."

Out of nowhere a whole military arsenal slid right in front of him.

Back inside the matrix, Agent Lewis was still interrogating Talon as she sat casually in front of him. Talon was hunched over and twitching

"I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I've realized that you're not actually mammals."

His life signs continued their chaotic patterns as she continued to speak.

"Every mammal on this planet develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment. But you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consume and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area."

She leaned forward giving him a view of her cleavage.

"There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus."

She gave a very wicked grin as she continued speaking.

"Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague and we are... the cure."

Phoenix was now inside the matrix and on his way inside the building where Talon was being held.


End file.
